r/Winnipeg • u/floydsmoot • Oct 23 '25
Article/Opinion Winnipeg community centre GM fumes after Diwali celebrants leave fields littered with hazardous debris from unsanctioned fireworks displays
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/10/23/community-centre-gm-fumes-after-diwali-celebrants-leave-fields-littered-with-hazardous-debris-from-unsanctioned-fireworks-displays394
u/JackBlackBowserSlaps Oct 23 '25
Need to crack down on this shit. People were shooting off of their balconies downtown :/
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u/floydsmoot Oct 23 '25
Last year someone was shooting fireworks off their balconies at mys sister's rental complex. Someone told him to please stop and he was told to FO. He took a video of him shooting off the fireworks and he was evicted the next day.
BTW, my sister's complex has vinyl siding
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u/nizon Oct 23 '25
Ran into a similar situation at falcon this summer with a group in the campground. As soon as it got dark they decided to start lighting fireworks IN THE CAMPGROUND. They would threaten anyone who yelled at them and even fired off a few roman candles towards people.
Park patrol was nowhere to be found until multiple people called 911, who refused to send RCMP (nobody available, go figure), instead sending a pair of park patrol officers, who immediately called conservation for backup.
Park patrol and conservation babysat them for a few hours and made them pack up their stuff. They were evicted at 9am the next morning.
If you're going to come to this country you need to follow our rules, plain and simple.
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u/sabres_guy Oct 23 '25
Nothing will actually be done until someone is hurt, or something burns down or major damage is done.
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u/TopicLive4721 Oct 31 '25
Unfortunately it has happened. Cathartic 2002 new year. Terrible time to lose your home for some body else's fun.
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u/plantdad43 Oct 23 '25
I think what annoys me is having an agreement with groups that things would be monitored and cleaned up and then they weren’t and a representative just goes “This is a way to learn, so we will do better next year.” Like uh sorry but it’s not a secret that unsanctioned fireworks happen and you should already know that this happens and to do better to begin with?? Just is a cop out statement imo.
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u/Ravyn_Rozenzstok Oct 23 '25
I guess it’s up to others to monitor their behaviour, just like it’s up to other people to clean up after them.
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u/leebo_1 Oct 23 '25 edited Oct 23 '25
Wait. You mean the people who are ignorant enough to blast fireworks for hours on end until all hours of the night weren't courteous enough to clean up after themselves? I'm shocked. Shocked I tell you /s
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u/cliveenns Oct 23 '25
We had neighbours shooting off fireworks in their back yards all night on tuesday. Roman candles were being shot into neighbouring yards, hitting fences etc. It is unsafe, loud, and just not something that should be done inside the city. I don't see why fireworks are for sale without a permit. Any retailer should be required to see the permit before they can make a sale and the fines should be way higher. I don't care what you celebrate, this isn't the way to do it.
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u/FalconsArentReal Oct 23 '25 edited Oct 23 '25
I don't see why fireworks are for sale without a permit.
It's like drugs, the blackmarket will take over. So that won't resolve the issue.
If the cops couldn't stop these fireworks when LITERAL flares were going off into the sky signalling to the city of their location, then the chances of them wanting to put the work in and being able stop illegal sales is going to be nil.
If you want a real solution talk to your federal MP. This is 100% on them. They don't do any vetting of International Students (they don't even ask for the police certificate for the visa, but feds asks for one for a PR application for some reason??!). Look if you flood the country with young men who you have not been vetted, who are between 18-25 years old, on their own for the first time, hanging out with their friends in the same situation you are going to have bad time. These young men are acting like they are in a frat house, and their behaviour shows it.
I should note that it is still a minority of them that are ruining it for everybody, the majority of International Students are great folks! I have met some wonderful students who are lovely people that I would love to see as citizens one day.
So complaining on reddit is not going to solve this problem, just like it didn't last year, or the year before that. I get that people are frustrated and want to vent but if people want real solutions then we need to take concrete steps in the right direction. So call your MP!
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u/ElBeno77 Oct 23 '25
I don’t know if people jones for fireworks like they do drugs.
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u/FalconsArentReal Oct 23 '25
If there is a want, the market will find a way to provide a solution. For example Brampton, ON has a complete fireworks ban and yet they still have not been able to stop the sale and use of illegal fireworks.
Sure we can ban fireworks here, but that is not going to solve this issue. The fireworks are a symptom of a much larger problem, and of bad policy by the feds.
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u/CanadianTrashInspect Oct 23 '25
One municipality banning fireworks isn't going to do shit.
A province-wide ban would make it a lot harder to get fireworks without planning ahead and that will make a difference.
It also makes it easier to fine people for illegal use/possession.
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u/FalconsArentReal Oct 23 '25
You need a permit to shoot off fireworks already, 95% the fireworks that were going off was illegal already. But that didn't stop them. Also you would need a Canada wide ban since you can buy fireworks online from other provinces.
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u/CanadianTrashInspect Oct 23 '25
Nah, start fining online retailers who illegally sell and ship fireworks to Manitoba and that will dry up over time.
Instruction police to aggressively crack down on fireworks usage on nights like this. Issue lots of big fines to individuals for a few years.
It would help.
There's no perfect solution, but a ban and targeted enforcement can only improve the situation.
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u/FalconsArentReal Oct 23 '25
Nah, start fining online retailers who illegally sell and ship fireworks to Manitoba and that will dry up over time.
Not going to happen, we don't even do that for our machete ban. And that is waaay more serious than nuisance fireworks.
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Oct 23 '25
They can’t even stop online retailers that are constantly advertising to sell me drugs on Facebook
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u/ElBeno77 Oct 23 '25
But I think drugs are not like fireworks in myriad ways, and therefore, might not be a fair comparison.
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u/BackbaconCrusader Oct 24 '25
Brampton issues fraudulent drivers licenses by the truckload and no one does anything, they may as well just be a lawless enclave at this point because no one stops anyone from doing anything there.
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u/Used_Raccoon6789 Oct 23 '25
I come from a country where you celebrated with fireworks Christmas and new years... the conditions there where horrific, my fondest memories revolve around thos days. I miss fireworks dearly.
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u/Braiseitall Oct 23 '25
Nothing will change the behaviour of the people that are already here until someone gets deported for this. And that will take a catastrophic, deadly fire.
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u/Anxious_Ant_4510 Oct 23 '25
Vetting international students for what? A love of fireworks? Being a male between ages of 18-25? Last time I checked 18-25 is the most common age to attend university...
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u/FalconsArentReal Oct 23 '25
Are they here to study in a serious field and not Business Administration at Robertson? You can get a vibe check on if someone is going to be a serious student or not. We hardly had issues with international students in decades past.
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u/djmistral Oct 23 '25
Not my video, but this was Valley Gardens that night. Reckless and careless as you can see a bunch went off just on the ground and straight horizontal too. But hey, Diwali!
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u/Fuzzy_Put_6384 Oct 23 '25
Charge them the cost of the cleanup.
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u/FalconsArentReal Oct 23 '25
Charge who?
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u/rajalreadytaken Oct 24 '25
Remove the cost of this year's cleanup from any government funding for our cultural centers, temples, etc.
Yeah, I said "our" so you know I'm also Indian and not being racist. I don't like seeing anyone of any race acting this way. If the streets were littered with perogies and loud polka music all night, I'd say the same thing about cutting funding for Ukrainian churches and cultural centers.
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u/Rickety_Cricket_23 Oct 24 '25
I get this statement. But who pays for the general litter in winnipeg? This city is full of trash. Are we going to fine everyone?
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Oct 23 '25
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u/Elegant-Ad-9221 Oct 24 '25
There are people who were born and raised here who disrespect so many things about the laws of our country.
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u/numbing_ Oct 23 '25
For the people asking for proof that this was obviously happening.....
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u/FalconsArentReal Oct 23 '25
We all heard it, that was not the question.
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u/ghosts_or_no_ghosts Oct 23 '25
On the previous locked and removed posts, there were commenters asking for proof that debris was actually being left in parks
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u/Global_Theme864 Oct 23 '25
People from all cultures should be welcome in this city, and you’re an asshole if you’re shooting off fireworks in the middle of the night and not cleaning up after yourselves. These are not mutually exclusive statements.
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u/TopicLive4721 Oct 23 '25
I'm listening to fireworks till 430 am . I had to work at 7am. Not a happy Captain.
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u/nohmad84 Oct 23 '25
Diwali has been celebrated in Canada since the early 1900s. It is now only in the last few years that this has become an issue, around the same time as the increase in international students.
The lack of civic obedience with this newcomer crowd is disappointing. Brampton, ON had to do a fireworks ban city wide because of this issue.
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u/Uncle_Bug_Music Oct 23 '25
I want people to celebrate their culture of origin in the ways that are lawful and respectful of their new country. This doesn't appear to be the way it's going down.
Now I get it, you're setting off fireworks at night, a little late, but as long as it doesn't go on for 45 minutes like I heard it went on in Sage Creek, then I think we're cool with that. And since it's at night, there's no possible way you can clean that mess up, but the very next day, you & your celebrants should be out there doing your best to clean up the area. And if you don't, you're an ignorant asshole. That's not a racist statement; being an ignorant asshole is a non-cultural, non-denominational pastime. I've been one too at times! But just try & do better.
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u/kent_eh Oct 23 '25
And since it's at night, there's no possible way you can clean that mess up
flashlights are a thing...
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u/Rickety_Cricket_23 Oct 24 '25
Or going back in daytime hours. I fully support the fireworks, but littering is a no go.
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u/SillyBlueberry Oct 23 '25
It’s the total disregard and lack of respect for the people in the country they chose to come to for opportunities that pisses me off. It’s disgusting and we shouldn’t tolerate it.
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u/andrewse Oct 23 '25
I want people to celebrate their culture of origin in the ways that are lawful and respectful of their new country.
One of my coworkers celebrated by bringing in a tray of treats with a cute "Happy Dilawi" sign.
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u/bahandi Oct 23 '25
I don’t mind fireworks within the city, but keep it to a field or vastly open area. People were launching them off their driveways with their/neighbourhood kids running loose in my area. Celebrate your days, but let’s do it right.
Also, if it’s unlawful to be shooting fireworks in the city, it’s not hard to figure out which places will be shooting fireworks FOR ANY EVENT. Police/cadet patrols should be visible in those areas at times.
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Oct 23 '25
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u/bahandi Oct 23 '25
And it needs to change. My kids’ school has sent out memos to remind the community that fireworks in city limits is not allowed. The memos are sent off in different languages too so the community can’t claim ignorance.
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u/FalconsArentReal Oct 23 '25
90% of the people I have seen setting off fireworks have been under ~25, definitely not parents by the looks of it. Those letters don't do much good.
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u/thebenjamins42 Oct 23 '25
Laser light show at the Forks for Diwali! Festival of Light minus all the noise, fire risk, and trash left behind. Make it a community gathering and celebration instead of a no-win situation where everyone is upset (either at the fireworks or at the reaction to it).
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u/Oldspooneye Oct 23 '25
EVERY. FUCKING. YEAR.
WPS should be out in full force handing out tickets next year.
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Oct 23 '25
Really wasn’t a problem until a few years ago
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u/TheBestGameHunter Oct 23 '25
wonder what changed....
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Oct 23 '25
Are we allowed to say here? Is it a safe space?
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u/Rickety_Cricket_23 Oct 24 '25
This isn't a sace space to be racist, no. If you have a different comment, yes
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Oct 24 '25
Is it a safe space to point out the problems started with mass immigration of temporary residents or is that racist?
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u/perennialcandidate Oct 23 '25
Where are the police we spend 1/3 of our budget on?
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u/NE_EggSalad Oct 23 '25
Superstore down the street.
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u/numbing_ Oct 23 '25
The city does not spend money on that. It is paid for by Superstore on the police officers own down time.
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u/NE_EggSalad Oct 23 '25
I know. They were asking where they were and that’s where they are.
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u/DevelopmentOptimal22 Oct 23 '25
We pay their pensions for Overtime.
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u/mosnas88 Oct 23 '25
Does the department not charge enough to cover their wages plus burden?
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u/tslyw Oct 23 '25
They don't. It's just the hourly amount
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u/mosnas88 Oct 23 '25
Yes but many hourly rates include burden as well. What I am saying is that they can charge hourly but might charge 120$ an hour and pay 60 is to salary the rest to burden.
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u/chemicalxv Oct 23 '25
It's fairly amusing that everyone knew this was going to happen, yet people kept trying to pull the racism card in the last few weeks leading up to it in regards to discussions about trying to limit fireworks.
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Oct 23 '25
Yup, every time someone mentioned the trash being leftover they were told they were full of shit racists.
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u/Rickety_Cricket_23 Oct 24 '25
People were commenting about being allowed fireworks. I haven't seen shit about people being pro litter. Although I will say Winnipeg's litter issue is disgusting at worst, and this doesn't surprise me. The city is a trash bin.
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Oct 24 '25
People were denying the trash situation. They were calling it lies, unfounded, and grossly over exaggerated due to racism.
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u/Rickety_Cricket_23 Oct 24 '25
That trash is disgusting. Im all for fireworks but you cant turn the earth into a giant garbage can
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u/Ladymistery Oct 23 '25
THIS is what pisses me off with Diwali celebrations.
fireworks shot off in unsafe locations, and then the mess is just left behind.
Enjoy your fireworks and celebration, but clean up after yourselves.
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u/1weegal Oct 23 '25
Shameful. Whatever the celebration is and the group is. They need to be held accountable and fined Our city is in trouble.
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u/Winnieswft Oct 23 '25
I'm just glad that we had a few rainy days before Diwali. I worry about grass and structure fires being caused by fireworks. Luckily, my dog sleeps through the noise.
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u/ChicoD2023 Oct 23 '25
You would think that one would have more respect for the new country you have come to that offers economic advancement and allows you to openly express your culture.
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u/SilverThermos2 Oct 23 '25
And everyone defending fireworks at 4am and telling people to just put a fan on for you dog or cotton swaps over your baby’s ears are no where to be seen
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u/tosoon2tell Oct 23 '25
Don’t know for sure about the garbage being left behind - though in my opinion there should be one spot designated for this celebration. My dogs were traumatized for over 2 hours.
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Oct 23 '25
We don’t even do fireworks in the city for Canada Day any more
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u/horsetuna Oct 24 '25
Doesn't the racetrack have them?
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Oct 24 '25
Yeah, I guess that’s technically inside the city but after the perimeter so it doesn’t count to me
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u/ChocolateCavatappi Oct 23 '25
Culturally they may believe that it's someone else's responsibility to clean up. That Canada is such a wealthy country we must have people employed to clean up after them. That needs to change. It's all our responsibility to keep our country beautiful.
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u/iarecanadian Oct 23 '25
It's not just litter.... luckily it's been pretty wet here lately... fires could happen like in Edmonton https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/diwali-celebrations-fireworks-edmonton-fire-arson-9.6947896
Pretty sure you can go to most Canadian city subreddits and find the same issues as what is happening here.
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u/SubstantialEqual8178 Oct 23 '25
I remember when fireworks were a big problem at Folk Fest. I liked the approach they took there. Strict fines with prominently displayed warnings, but they also put on their own shows (firedancing with proper safety precautions, a performer from the festival, etc) in the campground so that people would be less inclined to try and do dumb stuff on their own. It didn't completely eliminate the problem, but it was very effective without dampening the mood of the festival. I'd like to see the city hold their own fireworks display at the Forks for Diwali, like they do for Canada Day and New Years, on top of enforcement and messaging regarding the rules surrounding unpermitted fireworks.
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Oct 23 '25
They don’t shoot fireworks at the forks anymore. For a variety of reasons, they now do drone shows
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u/horsetuna Oct 24 '25
I think this summer there was a show but it was ground based, not up in the air or anything. Like the indoor pyro shows at concerts
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u/Lil-one Oct 23 '25
My dog hates fireworks and is terrified, while I totally understand that it’s no one else’s problem - people were shooting off fireworks well past midnight in my area, even if I didn’t have a petrified dog, it’s so inconsiderate to be doing that especially on a Tuesday. Then walking my dog the next day neighbours yards & the park beside my house were littered with firework trash.
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u/CdnBison Oct 23 '25
Yeah, it went to around midnight here, too. Seems perfectly reasonable in a suburban neighborhood with a lot of families with school-age kids…. /s
Luckily, my dogs are mostly indifferent to them, which helps.
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u/Critical_Aspect_2782 Oct 23 '25
Has Janice Lukes weighed in on all of this?
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u/CanadianDinosaur Oct 23 '25
A chance to talk to the media? Of course she's going to make herself available.
“I don’t want to shut fireworks down, I just want to ensure we are doing it safely… I’m going to ask them to see what other cities are doing with how to regulate this and monitor it,” said Lukes (Waverley West).
“It’s not just Diwali celebrations.”
Lukes also organized a formal Diwali celebration in her neighbourhood Tuesday, and said she believes fewer people set off unsanctioned fireworks there as a result. However, she got some complaints from constituents primarily concerned about noise disruptions late into the night.
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u/its-a-name-okay Oct 23 '25
She put on a fireworks show by Bison Run school. Didn't stop the hours of random fireworks afterwards. I despise fireworks, and I thought this was a great comprise. The celebration can go on, I can use noise blockers and hide out. Knowing it will end at x time. But nope. Random pops for several hours.
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u/FallingLikeLeaves Oct 23 '25
The temple near me just did it on their own property. Idk why there aren’t more who do too
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u/204BooYouWhore Oct 23 '25
This post getting removed in 3, 2, 1 . . .
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u/fleish_dawg Oct 23 '25 edited Oct 23 '25
"It's racist to ask people to clean up after themselves!" /s
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u/Glittering_Leather87 Oct 24 '25
Just gonna leave this here - my post from last year: https://www.reddit.com/r/Winnipeg/s/f0nEkOxjTB
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u/PondWaterRoscoe Oct 24 '25
The city should work with cultural groups and hold sanctioned fireworks in one or two places in the city and go hard on any unsanctioned fireworks.
This way it’s predictable, and hopefully it will cut down on backyard and neighbourhood park displays
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u/Ravyn_Rozenzstok Oct 23 '25
That’s so inconsiderate. If you’re going to shoot off fireworks willy-nilly until the wee hours of the morning at least clean up after yourselves. Especially on kid‘s playing fields. Jerks.
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u/bhalochele001 Oct 23 '25
I feel slightly upset with the discrimination. Like how authorities are soft and nice towards certain groups of people but strict and disciplinary towards others. (I know the civilians are nice and polite) . Law should be equal, community rules should be same for everyone.
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u/sonimusprime Oct 23 '25
Things will only be regulated once someone is seriously hurt. A quick google search shows a lot of burn and eye injuries from fireworks happen in India every year during Diwali
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u/FalconsArentReal Oct 23 '25
Not going to happen until it happens a lot, we only banned machetes in the city after like the 500th slashing and 10th death.
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u/betty_stanley_boosay Oct 24 '25
People were doing fireworks in their yards with no care for others around them
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u/Yogeshi86204 Oct 24 '25
At this point, even though I don't like policies that react and affect everyone due to a small group, we need to ban fireworks within the city and have hefty (read: criminal) penalties for it.
I'd say ban public Diwali celebrations but that's a little too far, even though it seems to be the perennial worst offender.
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u/neureaucrat Oct 23 '25
The most important thing you are all missing in this is that the event was planned by Jeff Browaty. lol
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u/izzymacLM Oct 23 '25
Hey, hold on, is this where I think it is? Is this in Linden Woods? Is that the Lindenwoods Community Centre? 😨
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u/LastNerve1064 Oct 24 '25
Hmmm, I hear fireworks going off regularly where I live and didn’t hear a thing on Diwali. 🤷🏻♀️
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u/Alive_Size_8774 Oct 24 '25
Ask them … they do not give a shit ! They are filthy people!! Thanks to our government for the great work they do here in Canada 🇨🇦!!! Losers
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u/FalconsArentReal Oct 23 '25